Endophytic fungi glowing inside Tartary buckwheat, symbolizing the potential for new antibiotics.

Unlock Nature's Hidden Antibiotics: Endophytic Fungi in Tartary Buckwheat

Lena Kashyap in Science & Nature August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how fungi living inside the medicinal plant Fagopyrum tataricum could revolutionize agriculture and medicine with their antimicrobial properties."

The relentless rise of drug-resistant pathogens has fueled an urgent search for new antimicrobial agents. Researchers are increasingly turning to nature, exploring sources that are highly effective, have low toxicity, are environmentally friendly, and are readily available. Endophytic fungi, microorganisms that live inside plants, have emerged as a promising area of exploration.

Endophytic fungi are now recognized as rich reservoirs of novel bioactive metabolites with antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. These natural compounds have the potential to transform agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and the food industry. In fact, studies have shown that nearly half of the active compounds derived from fungal endophytes were previously unknown, and many exhibit strong antimicrobial activity.

Fagopyrum tataricum, also known as Tartary buckwheat, is a medicinal and edible plant packed with proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, trace elements, and unique phytochemicals. While Tartary buckwheat has a long history of medicinal use, the endophytic fungi residing within this plant have remained largely unexplored—until now.

What Makes Tartary Buckwheat's Endophytic Fungi Special?

Endophytic fungi glowing inside Tartary buckwheat, symbolizing the potential for new antibiotics.

Scientists have successfully isolated and identified 72 endophytic fungal isolates from healthy Tartary buckwheat tissues. Detailed morphological and molecular analyses revealed 13 distinct fungal isolates belonging to several genera, including Alternaria, Bionectria, Botryosphaeria, Fusarium, Guignardia, Nectria, Neonectria, Phomopsis, Pseudocercospora, and Verticillium. Among these, Pseudocercospora was the most prevalent, with a colonization frequency of 15.3%.

The diversity of these fungi underscores the untapped potential within F. tataricum. To assess their potential, researchers conducted antimicrobial screening assays, revealing that six endophytes (Fataf-4, 6, 9, 11, 12, and 15) exhibited activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas lachrymans. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranged from 0.125 to 2.00 mg/mL.

Bacillus subtilis: A common soil bacterium that can sometimes cause food poisoning.
Staphylococcus aureus: A bacterium known for causing skin infections, pneumonia, and food poisoning.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens: A plant pathogen that causes crown gall disease.
Escherichia coli: A bacterium that can cause severe food poisoning and infections.
Pseudomonas lachrymans: A plant pathogen that affects various crops.

Further investigation revealed that endophytes Fataf-9 and Fataf-11 displayed strong inhibitory activity against the spore germination of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, with IC50 values of 0.356, 0.463, 0.451, and 0.489 mg/mL, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of these fungal extracts to combat specific fungal pathogens.

Why This Discovery Matters

The discovery of diverse and promising endophytic fungi within Fagopyrum tataricum opens new avenues for developing natural antimicrobial agents. These fungi could serve as a potential source of antibiotics for agricultural and pharmaceutical applications, offering a way to combat drug-resistant pathogens and promote sustainable solutions for plant protection and human health. Future research should focus on isolating and identifying the specific antimicrobial compounds produced by these fungi to fully unlock their therapeutic potential.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.4314/tjpr.v16i2.18, Alternate LINK

Title: Community Of Endophytic Fungi From The Medicinal And Edible Plant Fagopyrum Tataricum And Their Antimicrobial Activity

Subject: Pharmacology (medical)

Journal: Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Publisher: African Journals Online (AJOL)

Authors: Ling Yun Zhong, Liang Zou, Xiao Hui Tang, Wen Fei Li, Xing Li, Gang Zhao, Jiang Lin Zhao

Published: 2017-03-07

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly are endophytic fungi?

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms that live inside plants like Fagopyrum tataricum, also known as Tartary buckwheat. They are a rich source of bioactive metabolites with antimicrobial properties. These fungi are now recognized as a valuable source of novel antibiotics, which has potential for use in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and the food industry.

Why is the discovery of these fungi significant?

The discovery of these fungi is important because it offers a new way to combat drug-resistant pathogens, which are a major threat to human health. The research identified specific endophytes within the Tartary buckwheat that exhibited strong antimicrobial activity. This discovery opens avenues for developing natural antimicrobial agents, offering sustainable solutions for plant protection and human health. It could also provide new solutions for the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.

What is Tartary buckwheat and its role in this context?

Tartary buckwheat, or Fagopyrum tataricum, is a medicinal and edible plant that contains proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and unique phytochemicals. This plant provides a habitat for a diverse community of endophytic fungi. The specific fungal isolates identified included Alternaria, Bionectria, Botryosphaeria, Fusarium, Guignardia, Nectria, Neonectria, Phomopsis, Pseudocercospora, and Verticillium. The discovery of these diverse fungi within Tartary buckwheat is significant due to their potential to produce antimicrobial compounds.

Which specific fungi showed antimicrobial activity and what did they target?

The research found that several of the fungal endophytes, specifically Fataf-4, 6, 9, 11, 12, and 15, demonstrated activity against pathogens like Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas lachrymans. Furthermore, Fataf-9 and Fataf-11 showed strong inhibitory activity against the spore germination of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. This highlights the potential of these fungal extracts to combat specific fungal pathogens.

What are the next steps in exploring these fungi and their potential benefits?

Future research should focus on isolating and identifying the specific antimicrobial compounds produced by these fungi. Further exploration could lead to the development of new antibiotics. The discovery underscores the untapped potential within Fagopyrum tataricum and its endophytic fungi to revolutionize agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and the food industry, by offering new solutions for both plant protection and human health. Additional research could determine the best applications for the new antibiotics.